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Two pressures are measured for a blood pressure reading 1  : Systolic blood pressure is a measure of blood pressure while the heart is beating. 2  Diastolic pressure is a measure of blood pressure while the heart is relaxed.
Systolic pressure is the pressure of the blood in your arteries when your heart is contracting. Diastolic pressure is the force of the blood against the artery walls when your heart is not contracting (at rest /between beats).